holy orders

holy orders

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The Sacrament of Holy Orders continues Jesus Christ’s priesthood, which He entrusted to His Apostles. The Catechism of the Catholic Church refers to the Sacrament of Holy Orders as “the sacrament of apostolic ministry.” From St. Peter and St. Paul through the ages, every ordination in the Catholic Church finds its origin in the 12 Apostles who Christ sent forth to administer the sacraments to the world. Ordination comes from the Latin word ordinem, which means to incorporate into an order. In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, a man is incorporated into the priesthood of Christ, at one of three levels: the episcopacy for a bishop, the presbytery for a priest, or the diaconate for a deacon.


If you have an interest in finding out more about the path to priesthood or the permanent diaconate in this diocese, you are very welcome and encouraged to contact our Diocesan Vocations Director, Rev. Adam Urbaniak at 228-283-5252.